Healthy Vegan Caesar Salad

Total Time:2½ hours

Nutritional per serving

Calories:

381 kcal

Fat:

14 g

Protein:

18 g

Carbohydrates:

54 g

We love a good Caesar Salad but most aren’t entirely healthy as they use a bunch of unhealthy ingredients, often sneaking in anchovies and parmesan which isn’t exactly ideal for anyone following a vegetarian on vegan diet. Fear not, we’ve found an awesome recipe which uses some rather interesting ingredients to make a super healthy, totally Vegan Caesar Salad.

100 grams romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into ribbons (alternately, you can use two heads of romaine and omit the kale)

1 recipe polenta croutons (see below)

For the polenta croutons:

750 ml cups water

250 grams fine yellow cornmeal (polenta)

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions

To make the dressing:

Transfer the cashews, lemon juice, water, kelp or dulse granules, garlic, miso, salt, mustard, and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast to a blender and blend until smooth.

Start with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and adjust as needed.

To make the salad:

Toss the greens with the dressing, using as much of it as you need to coat the greens well.

Fold in the remaining nutritional yeast.

Divide the salad onto four serving plates.

Top each plate with a handful of polenta croutons and serve.

To make the polenta croutons:

In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil.

Pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Add the salt.

Continue to stir as the polenta cooks. The polenta is ready when the cornmeal is tender and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the polenta to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Use an offset spatula to smooth it out.

When the polenta has cooled, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to firm for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut it into 3/4-inch squares.

Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a fresh sheet of parchment.

Brush the squares with olive oil and sprinkle them with coarse salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown, stirring once through.

Once the polenta croutons are cool enough to touch, use them to garnish the salad, or pile them onto a bowl of soup, toss them with some roasted cherry tomatoes for a lovely summer appetizer, or better yet, use them in a non-traditional panzanella.